SO

With "So", Gabriel finally hit the charts in mid-1980s, accompanied with wonderful video spots of "Sledgehammer" and "Big Time". The usual instrumental support to his imaginative songs is enforced by groovy funk beats that make this album almost a "dance music". The "old" Gabriel is back again in excellent duo with Kate Bush "Don't Give Up" and dark ballad "Mercy Street". The album is perfectly produced, containing many "third world" percussions. However, we are talking about an excellent pop music, above all! Proggy traces are fewer than on previous albums and Gabriel shines in utilising the pop song format, which often can be put close to art/electronic pop, not rock. Only for this reason I rate it as averege in terms of progressive rock, because it is not essential to the genre.